TUESDAY, 7:30 PM hours earlier before Sweet Dreams took over*
"Oh, I-I'm sorry I-I should've walked." a peculiar looking elderly man apologised towards Giorno and Trish as they helped him to rise up.
"Hm?", Josuke and Jotaro stopped at their steps when they heard the commotion behind them. They saw an old man on the floor with Giorno and Trish helping it to stand.
Jotaro looked over his shoulder and caught the man's stare towards the two. Dr. Kujo sensed an eerie feel towards him and, there's something up with that man. Jotaro has never felt that for two years. The marine biologist seemed somewhat odd and disturbed about that man; the same instinct that he got from Morioh two years ago. The man seemed to recognize Jotaro's stare, so the man smiled back at him over his shoulder.
"Ah, No worries. Are you hurt?" Trish asked as she and Giorno helped the old man to get up.
"Ah, thank you. It's rare to see kids these days helping old people such as myself.", The man said as he patted her behind the neck. He then looked at Giorno and also patted him on the back, "You're a lucky young man. Take care of her, okay? A girl like her is hard to find. Even a blind chap like me could tell that she's a beautiful and good pick."
"You got the wrong idea, but thank you for the compliment.", Trish chuckled as she dusted off her pants and handed him his cane.
Giorno raised an eyebrow towards the old man but gave a half smile, "Don't worry, I'll take care of her."
"Erm... Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Jotaro told me we have to get going.", Josuke Interrupted with a sheepish smile.
"Oh, We'll be right there. Be careful next time Gramps, okay?", Trish said with a tight-lipped grin.
"Ah, I'll try. Thank you again youngsters.", and with that the old man walked down the hallway while Trish and Giorno rejoined Josuke and Jotaro to the opposite direction.
"Yeesh, that guy old man gives me the creeps.", Josuke said towards the two.
"Yeah, there's something about him that is certainly unsettling. What do you think, Trish? Trish?"
"H-huh? Yeah... I'm sorry I kinda zoned out. Maybe I'm just exhausted."
"Now that you mention it, I felt kind of heavy."
"We're here.", Jotaro said as he opened the door to his apartment. The group entered the enormous apartment and greeted with a clean and we'll kept living room connected to a kitchen aisle, to some other separate rooms and to a balcony. The floors were navy colored that matched the bluish undertone of the white walls and ceiling.
The two were no longer surprised on how elaborate the abode of the marine biologist are. His home matched his personality, a straightforward giveaway.
"You three can make yourselves comfortable. I'll just go to my office to finish some paperwork." Jotaro said as he removed his white coat and hung it neatly on the coat stand before going to the farthest room where his office is located.
Giorno and Trish slumped on the grey-colored couch with heavy sighs as Josuke proceeded to the kitchen and opened the fridge and decided that he'll cook for their dinner. "You guys hungry? You guys like Japanese food?"
"Yeah, that sounds good." Giorno replied as he stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Hey, don't you think the guy from earlier kinda looked... Weird?", Trish said as she removed her jacket and tied it around her waist.
"I agree that geezer really gave me the creeps.", Josuke said from the kitchen as he made some Nikujaga from the potatoes and beef that he retrieved in from Jotaro's fridge.
"I know he seemed harmless, but there's something off. I don't know. Maybe I'm just paranoid.", Trish mumbled as she undid her coiffed pink locks and tied it to a loose ponytail before she went over to Josuke who are peeling some potatoes and carrots while his dashi packet boiled on the pot, she's quite intrigued by the teen's cooking prowess so she decided to went over and give him a little help by chopping the vegetables he prepped.
"I know. I don't trust that guy too.", Giorno commented as he sat straight on his spot before standing up and proceeding towards Jotaro's office.
"Yo Giorno, where are you going?", Josuke glanced over as he sauteed the onions and the beef.
"I... Have some matters to discuss with Dr. Kujo.", Giorno replied as he knocked the door to Jotaro's office. Trish glanced as she set down her knife with a concerned look on her face. It took a little while before the man behind the door told Giorno to come into his office, where he let himself in and closed the door behind.
"So? What brings you here? Do you have something in mind?", the marine biologist asked as he continued to work on some documents that littered his desk.
"Y-yes... Actually... I have to ask you something. Is it true that you are the one who killed him?", Giorno asked with a firm eye contact with the man in front of him.
Jotaro suddenly halted from his work and sighed as he settled the papers down to his desk. He removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair before removing his glasses to meet the blonde's stare with an even colder glance. His cold greenish blue orbs pierced towards Giorno's turquoise eyes, "Yes... I did. I killed him way back in Egypt. I took off his head away from the body that he stole from my ancestor." The man sounded very nonchalant about the topic as he maintained a resting expression.
"... Would you kill me too? Am I your enemy?", Giorno asked with a seriousness in his tone.
"I should be the one asking that. I'm no stranger to death, Giorno. I've looked death straight in the eye; caught a bullet, dragged into the bottom of the ocean, stopped my heart. It's up to you. Are you our enemy or an ally?"
Giorno felt that the man's word carries no lies. The way his icy blue orbs looked into his soul told him he is not giving out hollow threats, but fair warnings.
"It's a long and ugly story... A tragic one. You've read the files, right? You saw the names, the body counts, the crimes.", Dr. Kujo continued while Giorno stayed silent.
"Yes, I did. But... I don't know...", Giorno finally spoke. “I understand that you did it for your family. But what about... The family he didn't knew?”
“From what I could tell, you didn't have a chance for a good and loving family... But, Dio would really have kept you if he really cared about you and your mother at the first place.”
Giorno's heart sank further as he sighed and looked away. “My mother would always talk highly about him... It's just that...”
“Dio is well aware of his actions. His journal says it all. He made one of his 'play things' go so she could bare him an offspring that would continue his deeds and if not be a blood bag.”
Jotaro saw how the boy in front of him shiver. It might me anger or frustration but, his glance towards the young man softened, "I understand if you are mad at me. Taking all of these things all at once... I am deeply sorry.”
"No. It's just that I kept thinking about the truth... And at first I find most of it to be lies. But I honestly think he deserved it, and fate just gave him his punishment. It could've been worse. Thank you for letting my father's soul to rest. I am sorry for his behalf. As distasteful as it is... I can't do anything about it."
Jotaro painted a soft smile on his face and sighed before lighting a cigarette and then puffing out some smoke.
"I'm glad that you took this in wisely, kid. Participating on this research is enough contribution. Now, are there other matters you want to discuss?"
"Yes, there is... I'm also here to let you know that Trish and I were planning to go back to Italy tomorrow our group back home is in grave circumstances and we suppose that as long as we stay here, the safety of the gang and yours too were at risk, please let us go back." Giorno said as he forced himself to look towards the stoic man in front.
The man raised an eyebrow and then put his glasses back on. "Tomorrow? I understand. I'll be sending Josuke with you guys to escort you two. I'll arrange matters with the foundation so you and your escorts will have a private flight tomorrow morning."
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*Back to the present*
"Agh!! Ms. Trish! Wake up!!!", Josuke called out as he dodged continuously from Trish's attacks.
"Shit! What should I do?! Think Josuke, think! Ahh! Goddamit!! Crazy Diamond breakdown the floor!"
"DORRARARARARARA!!"
He bit his lower lip as he manifested Crazy Diamond behind and broke the navy colored floors and reverted it back where he trapped her left leg, deeming her partially immobile. He took a step back as he tried to distance himself from her and the flesh-like plant as he panted out, the adrenaline still present on his system.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Trish. I have to do this until we could get you and Giorno back."
"GRAHHH! GHH!!! NGH!", Trish grunted as she struggled from her position. Her arms waving violently. The flesh-like plant, still in control of her body.
THUD!*
Josuke heard a loud thud coming from Giorno's room. He spun to his heels hastily as he sprinted to where Giorno is, but his sweat ran cold as he laid sight on the blonde young man...
"Aw, you gotta be frigging kidding me? You too?", Josuke whined as he painted a horrid expression when he saw Giorno on the floor in the same state as Trish, but with Gold Experience manifested beside him.
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"Trish! TRISH!!! — UGH! LET ME THROUGH PLEASE!", Giorno struggled as he tried to plow through the crowd. Trish is only a few meters away, out of his reach until she disappeared again in the sea of people.
"Dammit!", he cursed, swept by the people farther away until he stumbled on the sidewalk. He helped himself to stand up and craned his neck again in hopes to see anyone that he knew. He then suddenly felt a chilly hand on his shoulder. The same cold sensation whenever that 'curse' manifests.
He bit his lip as he slowly conspired that everything must be a stand. His parents... His Father... They're long gone. They are all gone for too long. This had to be a dream, and he is sure of that now. But this is different. Looks like the dream didn't want him to wake up. But why? He tried to wake himself and tried to remember. He recalled being in London, not in their house. He recalled that he is with Trish, Dr. Kujo, and Josuke. He remembered it all. And he has to get out of this.
Whatever is making this simulation, he is sure that he must wake up. He must wake up no matter what. He lifted his head and searched for Trish since he could feel that she might be in danger too. It's just a gut feel, but he thought if this is a stand attack from another assassin, then she might be in a same state as him.
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"That was fun, isn't it, Trish? And I have to say, your back hand swings are great. But don't get too cocky just because you beat me at tennis.", Donatella grinned as she plopped on the couch.
"Yeah, that was fun. I'll promise I'll go easy on the racket next time." Trish retorted as she sat beside her mother and then rested her head on the crook of Donatella's shoulder.
"You tell me that. You almost broke the tennis racket in half.", the older brunette chuckled as she pinched the cheek of her pink haired daughter.
"Yeah~ maybe I swatted the racket a little too hard.", Trish replied as she snuggled to her mother as she closed her eyes. "I'm still wondering who called me earlier though...", She heaved a sigh and a frown as she lifted her head from her mother's shoulder and then fumbled with her fingernails.
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
"I don't know... I feel like there's someone or something or some people that are important that I forgot. I mean, there's this weird feeling inside me...", she trailed off as she stood up from their couch.
"Maybe you are just exhausted."
"Maybe... Hey, Ma, can I go out for a while? I need a walk."
"Huh? Sure sweetie... We could go out for a—"
"No! — Uh... Err... What I mean is no, you just stay here and rest, okay? I know you are quite tired."
'Donatella' made a frown and a suspecting look in her brown eyes, but that expression flipped as she smiled innocently and stood at the couch to go upstairs to her room without saying a single word.
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Meanwhile, Jotaro is now in the middle of a stand-off as he faced Sweet Dreams' user.
He's trying to dodge the stand user's stand as long as he could just to find out more information about his opponent. The assassin told him that if he killed him, then the victims would be dead as well since his stand is now on its critical phase. Jotaro grit his teeth as he dodged another strike from the humanoid stand that resembled the appearance of the flesh plant from earlier. He learned that the flesh-like plant is just an ability and the real stand is right in front of him.
"What's the matter, signore? Why are you just dodging all my attacks? Am I not giving you a challenge? Well then, let's make the dance faster, eh? Sweet Dreams, finish him!", the stand user said as he continued his barrage of attacks, gradually picking up pace as his attacks were slipping through Star Platinum's guard. Jotaro felt a slight sting as one of Sweet Dreams spike projectiles slipped through and slightly grazed the skin on the left side of his face.
"WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE!?"
Jotaro lowered his head and gave a small smirk and then lifted his head again before connecting his glare towards his opponent, "You're right. Star Platinum, THE WORLD!"
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Trish, quite baffled from her mother's reaction from her words. She has to admit that she felt like there is something weird about everything. She shrugged the thought and proceeded to the door to go out but when she twisted the doorknob and opened it, a certain blonde young man with bright turquoise eyes stood in front of her doorstep with a smile. Behind him was a dark-haired boy, another boy with sandy and spiky blonde hair, a very familiar beanie wearing lad, and two men that are standing on the farthest were giving her a smile as she met their gazes.
"Oh, Trish. I was just about to knock on your door. Bucciarati insisted that everyone should come and visit you." the first blonde young man said as he rested his hands inside his pockets.
"Yeah! Fugo and I made a fruit basket for you. We didn't know what fruit you want, so we just bagged the whole thing.", said the black-haired boy as he elbowed playfully the other blond boy beside him who has the said fruit basket which gave him an irrate sigh from the long-haired man from the back and an amused look from the other black-haired man.
Trish blinked owlishly towards the young men on her doorstep as she tried to comprehend what's going on. She forced a smile and closed the door on their faces flatly.
"What the hell was that?!" Trish heard from the boy with sandy blonde hair.
"Calm down, man. Maybe she's just surprised.", the voice of the beanie wearing lad said.
"Yeah, Mista is right, Fugo. Maybe she's just overwhelmed.", the other blonde boy said.
She leaned on the door as her mind tried to take everything in. Now, she is very certain that there is something weird. She backed away from the door as she composed herself before opening it up and greeted by the group with concerned faces.
"I-I'm sorry. I'm just quite... Shocked. Anyway, I don't think I can entertain any visitors. I mean, my mom's sick with the flu so yeah.", she lied through her smile hoping that the guys would take her words. The young men exchanged glances before the beanie wearing man stepped in front said with a smile, "Ah, no worries. We will just visit you again next time."
The group agreed and left Trish with the fruit basket that the group had bought with them. She waved an awkward goodbye before slamming the door shut. She settled the fruit basket on the coffee table before peeking outside the window to make sure that there is no one out there. She furrowed her eyebrows as she opened the door once again. She stepped outside and walked fastly as she passed through their white picket fence and away from the house.
On her way, a black-haired boy bumped into her. They both stumbled on their backs from their minor collision. The boy scurried towards her and looked at her with wide eyes.
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To Be Continued>>>>